Real-world examples of 3 examples of 'The Power of Habit' by Charles Duhigg

Duhigg’s core idea is simple: every habit follows a three-step loop—cue, routine, reward. The best examples of The Power of Habit show this loop in real life, not just in theory.

One famous example of 3 examples of ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg is the story of Eugene Pauly, a man who lost the part of his brain that forms new memories. He couldn’t remember where his kitchen was if you asked him, yet he could walk to it automatically. How? His habit loops were still intact.

In Eugene’s case, the cue might be a certain time of day or feeling of hunger; the routine was walking the same path through his house; the reward was getting food. He couldn’t describe any of this, but his brain had wired the loop so deeply that it ran on autopilot.

You can see this same pattern in a modern, everyday example: checking your phone.

• Cue: a tiny buzz, or even just a moment of boredom.
• Routine: you open Instagram, email, or TikTok without thinking.
• Reward: a hit of novelty or social connection.

Over time, your brain starts craving that reward. Research on habit formation, like work summarized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), shows that repeated cue–routine–reward cycles strengthen brain pathways that make the behavior more automatic.

For a readable overview of how habits form in the brain, check out this NIH resource on behavior and brain circuits: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/

This is the first big takeaway from the best examples in Duhigg’s book: your habits don’t care whether they’re good or bad. They just run. But once you spot the loop, you can start to change it.

Starbucks, willpower, and an example of habits built on purpose

Another powerful example of 3 examples of ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg is how Starbucks trains employees. The company doesn’t just hope baristas will stay calm with rude customers; it builds that response into a habit.

Duhigg describes how Starbucks uses “if-then” plans. For example:

• If a customer starts yelling, then I take a deep breath, say, “I’m sorry you’re frustrated,” and follow the customer service script.

That script becomes the routine. The cue is the angry customer. The reward might be the relief of resolving the situation, plus praise from a manager.

This is one of the clearest examples of how willpower can be trained as a habit, not just a personality trait. Modern workplaces continue to borrow this approach in 2024 and 2025, especially in remote teams and customer support roles. Many companies now build playbooks and scenario scripts so employees don’t have to improvise under stress—they rely on pre-built habit loops.

You can use this same example in your own life:

• If I feel the urge to scroll social media while working, then I stand up, get a glass of water, and come back.

Same cue, different routine, similar reward (mental break). This is exactly how Duhigg suggests we change habits: keep the cue and reward, swap the routine.

For more on how willpower and self-control behave like muscles that can be trained, the American Psychological Association has a helpful summary: https://www.apa.org/topics/personality/self-control

Target, data, and the habit of shopping: one of the most surprising examples

When people talk about the best examples of The Power of Habit, they almost always mention Target’s pregnancy prediction story.

Duhigg explains how Target’s data team analyzed shopping patterns and noticed that when women bought certain items—unscented lotion, vitamin supplements, cotton balls—the pattern often signaled pregnancy. They used this to send targeted coupons before some women had even told friends or family.

The cue here is subtle: a life change (pregnancy) that quietly shifts routines. The routine becomes new shopping habits. The reward is convenience and feeling prepared. Over time, those new routines become stable habits that make a shopper loyal to the store.

In 2024–2025, this kind of habit-based targeting has only grown. Streaming platforms, fitness apps, and even grocery delivery services analyze your behavior patterns to predict what you’ll want next. Your Friday night Netflix recommendations or the “You might also like” section in your grocery app are modern examples of companies trying to shape and reinforce habits.

If you want to understand how powerful these patterns are, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other organizations regularly publish reports and guidelines about consumer data and behavior: https://www.ftc.gov

This example of Target in The Power of Habit is a reminder: your habits are visible in your data, even when you think no one is watching.

The song that changed a football team: habits and the power of routine

Another memorable example of 3 examples of ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg is the story of Tony Dungy, the NFL coach who turned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from a struggling team into contenders.

Dungy believed that under pressure, players don’t rise to the occasion—they fall back on their habits. So instead of teaching complicated plays, he drilled a few simple routines over and over until they became automatic.

Duhigg describes how Dungy focused on cues and first reactions. When the ball is snapped, the player doesn’t think through a flowchart; he just executes the habit he’s practiced.

A very modern version of this can be seen in how many people now structure their morning routines to avoid decision fatigue. For example:

• Cue: alarm at 6:30 a.m.
• Routine: no phone for the first 30 minutes, drink water, 10 minutes of stretching, then coffee.
• Reward: feeling clear-headed and in control.

Athletes, entrepreneurs, and even students are increasingly using habit stacks like this—linking one small action to the next so the whole chain runs on autopilot. The science behind this approach lines up with what organizations like Harvard Medical School write about behavior change and routine-building: https://www.health.harvard.edu

This example of Dungy’s coaching shows that habits aren’t just about breaking bad behaviors; they’re also about designing automatic success.

Keystone habits: one example of a small change that reshapes everything

One of the best examples in The Power of Habit is the idea of keystone habits—small habits that unexpectedly shift many other parts of your life.

In the book, Duhigg talks about Alcoa, the aluminum company. When Paul O’Neill became CEO, he didn’t start with profits or market share. He focused on one thing: worker safety.

On the surface, that seems narrow. But safety required better communication, faster problem-solving, and more accountability. Those changes spilled into everything else: quality improved, morale improved, and profits rose.

That’s a textbook example of a keystone habit in a company.

In everyday life, some modern keystone habits include:

• Tracking your steps with a smartwatch or phone. The cue is putting the watch on; the routine becomes walking a bit more; the reward is hitting your daily goal. Over time, this often leads to better sleep, healthier food choices, and lower stress. The CDC notes that even moderate physical activity can improve multiple health outcomes at once: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity
• Cooking at home a few nights a week. The simple habit of planning meals can reduce spending, improve nutrition, and even change social habits as families eat together more often.
• Going to bed at the same time. That one habit can improve mood, productivity, and even reduce late-night snacking.

These real examples of keystone habits line up with the examples of 3 examples of ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg: a single, well-chosen habit can quietly rearrange many parts of your life.

How to use Duhigg’s examples in your own life (without overcomplicating it)

It’s easy to read the best examples from The Power of Habit and think, “That’s interesting for big companies, but what about me?” The good news: the same rules apply at home, at work, and on your phone.

Here’s how to turn the examples of 3 examples of ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg into something practical.

1. Spot one habit loop this week

Pick one behavior you want to understand better. Maybe it’s late-night snacking, doomscrolling, or skipping workouts.

Ask yourself:

• What’s the cue? Time of day, emotion, place, person, or preceding action?
• What’s the routine? Describe the behavior in plain language.
• What’s the reward? Relief, distraction, connection, stimulation, comfort?

For example, you might notice that every day at 3 p.m., you grab a sugary snack. The cue is the time and maybe a dip in energy. The reward is a burst of pleasure and a short break from work.

2. Keep the cue and reward, change the routine

This is the heart of Duhigg’s method and one of the clearest examples of how to change a habit without fighting your entire brain.

Using the 3 p.m. snack example:

• Keep the cue (3 p.m.).
• Keep the reward (a break and a little pleasure).
• Change the routine: instead of a candy bar, you walk around the block and then have tea, or you chat with a coworker for five minutes.

At first, it feels forced. But over a few weeks, your brain starts to connect the cue (3 p.m.) with the new routine and reward. This is the same pattern Starbucks used with baristas and that Eugene’s brain used to find the kitchen.

3. Choose one keystone habit to experiment with

Look again at the examples of 3 examples of ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg: safety at Alcoa, training at Starbucks, simple plays in football. Each one is a lever that moved a much bigger system.

You don’t need ten new habits. You need one that quietly improves several areas of your life.

Ideas to try in 2024–2025:

• A 10-minute nightly reset: quick tidy-up, check tomorrow’s calendar, set out clothes. This can reduce morning stress, improve sleep, and cut down on forgotten tasks.
• A phone parking spot after 9 p.m.: plug your phone in outside the bedroom. That one habit can improve sleep quality, reduce anxiety, and free up time for reading or conversation.
• A weekly planning ritual: Sunday evening, 20 minutes to review the week ahead. This can reduce decision fatigue and procrastination.

The point isn’t to copy Duhigg’s examples exactly, but to copy the logic behind them.

FAQ: examples from The Power of Habit and how to use them

Q: What are the best examples of habits in The Power of Habit?
Some of the best examples include Eugene Pauly’s memory loss and automatic routines, Starbucks training baristas to handle difficult customers, Target predicting pregnancies through shopping data, Tony Dungy’s simplified football plays, and Alcoa’s focus on worker safety as a keystone habit. Each example of a habit loop shows cue–routine–reward in a different setting: home, retail, sports, and corporate culture.

Q: Can you give an example of how to apply the habit loop to phone addiction?
Yes. Say you notice you grab your phone every time you feel bored. The cue is boredom, the routine is opening social media, and the reward is stimulation or social connection. To change it, keep the cue and reward but change the routine: when you feel bored, you might open a language-learning app, read an article you saved earlier, or stand up and stretch. Over time, those new routines can become your default.

Q: Which examples of The Power of Habit are most useful for work?
The Starbucks example and the Alcoa safety story are especially useful. Starbucks shows how to create behavior scripts for stressful situations so employees don’t have to improvise. Alcoa shows how choosing one keystone habit—like safety, communication, or clear meeting routines—can gradually shift an entire organization’s culture.

Q: Are there real examples of habits changing health outcomes?
Yes. Even small, consistent habits like walking more, improving sleep routines, or reducing sugary drinks can significantly affect health over time. Organizations like the CDC and Mayo Clinic regularly highlight how daily behaviors influence heart health, weight, mood, and long-term disease risk. The science backs up what Duhigg’s stories illustrate: tiny habits, repeated, add up.

Q: How many habits should I focus on at once?
Duhigg’s real examples suggest that trying to change everything at once rarely works. Instead, pick one or two habits—ideally a keystone habit—and work on those until they feel automatic. Once that loop is stable, you can layer on another.

When you look closely at these real examples of 3 examples of ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg, a pattern appears: habits are not destiny, but they are powerful. The more clearly you can see your own cue–routine–reward loops, the more you can rewrite them. And that’s where the real power of habit lives—not in theory, but in the tiny choices you repeat every day.